Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Thursday 12 January 2012

The BDSers Count Their Winnings

From a report of the Third International BDS Conference, Hebron, 17 December (hat tip: reader Shirlee)

'The conference was an opportunity to take stock of the movement’s achievements worldwide, and to develop strategies to face the challenges ahead. The BDS movement witnessed impressive growth in 2011. Achievements include the withdrawal of German company Deutsche Bahn from construction of the A1 train line connecting Jerusalem to Tel Aviv; the forced closure of settlement company Ahava’s London flagship store and the loss of a $10 bn contract by French company Alstom in Saudi Arabia as a result of its role in the construction of the illegal Jerusalem Light Rail in occupied Jerusalem. 2011 was also the year when Israel’s foremost agricultural export company and a major BDS target – Agrexco – went bankrupt thanks in part to a sustained Europe-wide campaign.
The movement has now visibly spread beyond its traditional base of Palestine solidarity groups. The call for a military embargo of Israel received an enthusiastic response in Brazil and South Korea while in Australia, a nationwide debate involving government politicians and national media outlets ensued following the adoption of the movement’s principles by Marrickville Council in Sydney. A number of well-known artists have cancelled their scheduled performances in Israeli venues following appeals from BDS activists. Over a hundred Swiss artists vowed to boycott performances in Israel. Similarly, over 200 Swedish academics pledged to implement an academic boycott of Israel. The campaign for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel (ACBI) has undoubtedly been one of the most visible, and successful campaigns this past year.'
 Read the entire report here

9 comments:

  1. Again though. They need to boycott computers, phones, medicine and agriculture.

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  2. I seriously doubt that their 'sheer force of numbers ' (not) closed down multi national corporations.

    Amazing how they highlight the failure of Marrickville Council !!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Trudy, they inevitably turn a blind eye to that!
      Just goes to show how inportant Marrickville is on the world stage, Shirlee - after all, the pro-BDS Mayor got a billet doux from Tutu ...

      Delete
  3. All of their "victories" tend to be unverifiable, Alstom built the 1.8bil first stage of the rail and is still constructing the Saudi electricity grid.

    “The call for a military embargo of Israel received an enthusiastic response in Brazil and South Korea”
    Hmm let’s see google (1990-2011) "military embargo of Israel" Brazil – all I could find:
    “In doing so, we join hundreds of civil society organizations representing millions of people from all across the globe, including trade union confederations such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the Brazilian Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), anti-arms trade, and justice and solidarity campaigns who have announced their support for the campaign.”
    http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20Editorials/2011/July/11%20o/Impose%20an%20Immediate,%20Comprehensive%20Military%20Embargo%20on%20Israel,%20a%20Statement%20By%20Palestinian%20BDS%20National%20Committee.htm

    for South Korea only this
    Join Campaign against Sale of South Korean Jets to Israel
    http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/economy-of-the-occupation/3843-join-campaign-against-sale-of-south-korean-jets-to-israel

    “Australia, a nationwide debate involving government politicians and national media outlets ensued following the adoption of the movement’s principles by Marrickville Council in Sydney.”
    Lol more like bipartisan political support for Israel, with only the far left fringe supporting Marrickville’s stand (or should that be squat!).

    The whole statement runs counter to reality
    Israeli exports up by 45 in 2011
    http://daphneanson.blogspot.com/2012/01/israeli-exports-up-by-45-in-2011-video.html

    Ian

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    Replies
    1. I’ve done a longer version at EOZ
      http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2012/01/jimmy-carter-has-no-problem-with.html#comment-408586235

      Ian

      Delete
    2. Thanks. The Elder's the maestro!

      Gee, I hate the font on here now - not my choice; Blogger meddling...

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    3. Yes, Ian, I heard something about that. Shows what an effective job he's doing. Those posters of his alone are priceless!

      Delete
  4. Trudy to boycott things Israeli, they need to drop off the earth.....and 'good riddance to bad rubbish' is all I can say

    ReplyDelete

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